Pallet



United States Patent PALLET John W. Kappen, 243 Kenwood, Dayton, Ohio Filed Sept. 30, 1958, Ser. No. 764,356

Claims. (31. 243-120 This invention relates to commercial skids or pallets and particularly to a convertible pallet which can be changed readily from a simple transport member to a portable or floor mounted skid and back again in a quick and facile manner.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of pallets, whereby such pallets may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more efficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications, and be unlikely to get out of order.

A further object of the invention is to equip a commercial skid or a pallet as described for alternative suspension at its ends for transport and for portability whereby the pallet may be adapted to towing or by other means positioned or spotted for use.

Another object of the invention is to adapt a pallet for quick and easy installation and removal of underlying support devices.

A further object of the invention is to enable a pallet to be equipped as described alternatively with supporting legs or wheels or a combination of the two.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a generally new means of attachment of under-supports on a pallet whereby such supports are in the use of the pallet securely locked from inadvertent removal and yet may readily be removed from the pallet without the necessity of effecting and releasing latches and the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a generally new pallet having underlying batten means adapted for cooperation with removable supports in a manner to facilitate installation and removal of such supports.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pallet possessing the advantageous structural features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations along the line 44 of Fig. 2 and showing the parts as they appear with the weight of the bed portion resting upon the underlying support; and

Fig. 5 is a view like Fig. 4, showing the parts as they appear in an elevated position of the pallet, with the support means suspended from the batten.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, a pallet in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a generally flat bed portion 10, underlying battens 11 and 12 and feet and roller assemblies 13 and 14 attached respectively to the battens 11 and 12. The bed portion 10 is in the present instance made of sheet metal and corrugated for strength. The material and construction of the bed portion are not, however, critical to the practice of the invention. The edges of the bed portion 10 have side and end finish pieces 15 and 16 applied thereto. Also at the opposite'ends of the bed portion, and on the underside thereof are downwardly facing channel bars 18 and 19. The channel bars 18 and 19 provide a means to support the pallet, in conjunction with rollers, bars or the like and may be considered to be alternative in use to the feet and wheel assemblies 13 and 14. Thus, through the channel members 18 and 19, the pallet may be suspended in an elevated position, as in a truck interior for a more facile storage and handling of goods in transit. The wheels 14 provide for portability in the pallet in order that it may be towed or otherwise moved about a warehouse floor or the like while the wheels and legs 13 in conjunction with one another enable the pallet to take upv a position of rest upon the floor with the bed portion 10 level and relatively elevated for greater access.

The underlying supports 13- and 14 are in accordance with the present inventive concept adapted for simplified attachment to and removal from the pallet. Accordingly, to convert the pallet from a simple carrier supported at the channel bars 13-19, a combination of wheel assemblies and feet is attached to the underside of the pallet thus equipping it for movement and selective positioning or spotting as desired. Similarly, to reconvert the article from a portable pallet to a simple carrier, the under-support devices 13 and 14 are removed.

The detachable under-supports are mounted to the pallet through the battens 11 and 12. These are identical in construction so that a description of one will suffice for both. Thus, and referring to Figs. 2 to 5, a batten is of split construction, being comprised of two elongated strips 21 and 22 held in parallel, abutting relation by transverse bolts 23. The batten so assembled is arranged in transverse relation to the bed portion 10 on the underthereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a pallet assembly in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view, enlarged with respect to Fig. 1, showing one of the underlying supports and the batten to which it is attached, this view being in end elevation and with the bed portion of the pallet omitted.

Fig. 3 is a view in cross-section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in cross-section taken substantially side thereof and bolted or otherwise secured to the bed portion, using through passages 24 and 25 in the respective strips 21 and 22. The pair of battens 11 and 12 is mounted to the pallet in longitudinally spaced apart rela tion near respective ends of the pallet for a stable support thereof.

The upper surface of the batten contacts the underside of the bed portion 10. The lower or bottom surface of the batten is cut by a longitudinally extending vertical slot 26, the upper edge of which is in intersecting relation to a horizontal slot 27. It will be understood that the slots 26 and 27 are formed through complementary recesses in the adjacent faces of the strips 21 and 22, the

batten being made of a two-part construction to facilitate the forming of such slots. The slots 26 and 27 extend longitudinally through the opposite ends of the batten although, as will hereinafter more clearly appear, it

'is only necessary that the slots be open at one end of the batten. Intermediate its ends, the slot 27 is enlarged in define a relatively wide portion or chamber 28.

The wheel assembly 14 comprises a support plate 29. Dependentfrorn the plate 29 .are spaced apart pairs of legs 31 and '32. each rotatably mounting a respective wheel 33"and'34. Inllongitudinally extending relation on the upper surface of support plate 29, and centrally positioned thereon, is a vertical rib orwall 35 joined at its upper end to another plate 36 paralleling support plate 29. The elements 35 and 36 are integrally connected to the support plate 29 and comprise retainer means, 'being adapted to enter the slot configuration 2627 from one end of the batten to place the batten and wheel assembly 14 in an interconnected relation. The rib 35 and plate 36 have cross sectional dimensions corresponding approximately to the dimensions of the respective slots 26 and 27. In the installation of the wheel assembly the slotted configuration of the batten is aligned with the retainer means 35-36 of the wheel support and the support and pallet are then moved relatively to one another in a lateral sense to cause the retainer means to enter into the slotted configuration of the batten. This motion is continued until the plate 36 is wholly received within the chamber 28 of the batten at which time the wheeled support is approximately centered on the underside of the batten. The plate 35, which may be considered to be the retainer plate, corresponds approximately in length to the length of chamber 28. Accordingly, with the parts positioned as described, the wheel assembly 14 may be considered to be'locked to the batten inasmuch as the retainer plate will in use always assume a position misaligned with respect to the slot 27. If the pallet is raised from the floor, as by a lift truck, the wheel assembly is in effect suspended from the pallet and drops as a function of 7 its own weight to a position as indicated in'Fig. wherein the retainer plate 36 is at the bottom of chamber 28 and beneath the plane of slot 27. Similarly, when the pallet is at rest. upon the floor the batten drops relatively to the wheel assembly until the bottom of the batten rests upon support plate 29. At the same time, retainer plate 36 assumes a position in the upper part of chamber 28 above the plane of slot 27. The freedom of relative vertical movement between the batten and wheel assembly accordinglyprovides for self locking of the assembly from accidental dislodgement from its position of attachment to the batten. The arrangement is such, however, as to obviate the need for separate locking devices and the wheel assembly may be removed from the pallet simply by aligning the retainer plate 36 by hand with the slot 27 and effecting a lateral relative movement between the pallet and wheel assembly to withdraw the retainer means from the batten through one end thereof. Moreover, in use, the sustained load is applied directly to the support plate 29 and is not required to be borne by the retainer plate 36. The applied load accordingly is distributed throughout the whole of the batten, the entire cross-sectional area of which rests upon the support plate.

The foot assembly 13 is constructed like the wheel 7 assembly 14 and is attached to and detached from the batten 11 in an identical manner. Instead of the spaced apart'pairs of legs 31 and 32, however, the foot portion has spaced apart legs 37 and 38 dependent from a support plate 39 like the support 29. integrally formed to the support plate 39 is retainer means corresponding to the retainer means 35-36 and similarly engageable in the slotted configuration in the batten 11. The construction and arrangement of parts so afforded accordingly is such that wheel assemblies 14 and foot assemblies 13 may interchangeably be used according to whether the pallet is desired to have live, semi-live" .or stationarycharacteristics. Thus, both of the undersupports may be wheel assemblies 14, both may be foot rests 13 or, as here illustrated, a combination of the two may be used.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language moreor less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into eifect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A pallet, including a bed portion, batten means fastened to the underside of said bed portion, said batten means having a longitudinal planar slot which intermediate the ends of the batten means is formed with a vertically enlarged portion, and a removable support including a retainer plate mounted in and removed from said batten means by way of said slot and received in said enlarged portion with freedom of motion above and below the plane of said slot.

2. A pallet, including a bed portion, batten means on the underside. of said bed portion, said batten means having'a slot ,of angular configuration opening through at least one end thereof, and a support including a retainer plate having a configuration matching that of said slot and adapted to be received in said slot, and an intermediate enlargement of said slot providing for releasable locking of said retainer plate in saidbatten means. I V

3. A pallet, including a bed portion,'batten means fastened to the underside of saidbed portion, said batten means having a longitudinally extending approximately T shaped slot therein opening through at least one end thereof, and a removable support including a support plate to be engaged by the bottom of said batten means, and an approximately T shaped retainer including a retainer plate in parallel spaced relation to said support plate and a vertical interconnecting web, said retainer being receivable in the slot in said batten means, an intermediate enlargement of said slot receiving said retainer plate and providing for limited relative vertical movement of said support and said bed portion whereby to interlock said support and a said bed portion and to sustain the load of said bed portion on said support plate. r i

4. A pallet, including a bed portion, batten means on the underside of said bed portion, saidbatten means having a longitudinally extending angular slot therein opening through at least one end thereof, a portion of said slot intermediate its ends being enlarged ina vertical sense, and a removable support including parallel spaced apart retainer and support plates and an interconnecting wall, the slot in said batten means having a configuration to accept 'said retainer plate and interconnecting wall with said'support' plate in underlying relation to said batten means, said retainer plate :being re- 7 ceived in said enlargedportion .of the. slot for 'freedom of limited vertical motion of the supportrelatively to the batten megns. V s p 5. A pallet," including a bed portion, batten means on the underside of said bed-portion, said batten means having a longitudinally extending slot formation comprising a vertical portion and a contiguous horizontal portion, a part of said horizontal. portion being enlarged above and below the plane thereof, andv support means including a retainerplate slidable intsaid horizontal portion of said slot formation and received in the said enlarged part thereof to be misaligned with said horizontal portion in either a suspended position of the bed portion or a mounted position thereof on said support.

6. A convertible pallet, including a bed portion, batten means on the underside of said bed portion, said means including a batten split longitudinally and forming an elongated slot having vertical and horizontal portions, a part of said horizontal portion being enlarged above and below the plane thereof, a support including a retainer having vertical and horizontal portions corresponding to the vertical and horizontal slot portions, said retainer being engaged with and disengaged from said batten by sliding movement in said slot, the horizontal portion of said retainer being in an engaged position received in said enlarged part of the slot to be misaligned with said horizontal portion both when the pallet is resting on the support and when it is elevated suspending the support therefrom.

7. A convertible pallet according to claim 6, characterized in that said support further includes a support plate in parallel spaced apart relation to the horizontal portion of said retainer and interconnected therewith by said vertical portion, said support plate underlying the batten and engaged thereby when the pallet is resting on the support.

8. A pallet, including a bed portion, batten means on the underside of said bed portion, and a slot configuration in said batten means for the temporary attachment of pallet support means, said configuration including interconnected and longitudinally extending vertical and horizontal portions, a part of said horizontal portion being enlarged above and below the plane thereof, said slot configuration opening through at least one end of the batten means for installation and removal of the support means therethrough.

9. A pallet according to claim 8, characterized in that said batten means comprises a pair of spaced apart battens, each batten having a slot configuration as described and located for a balanced support of the pallet.

1O. A convertible pallet, including a bed portion of generally fiat rectangular configuration, a downwardly facing channel bar at each end of said bed portion on the underside thereof extending transversely of the length of said bed portion, said bars providing means for suspending the pallet in an elevated position, a pair of battens mounted on the underside of said bed portion between said channel bars in transverse relation to said bed portion and parallel to said channel bars, said battens further being in longitudinally spaced relation to one another, floor engaging devices, and interfitting configurations on said devices and said battens releasably attaching said devices to said battens.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,944,845 Rickwood Jan. 23, 1934 2,347,095 Garbarino Apr. 18, 1944 2,447,542 Seward Aug. 24, 1948 2,668,681 Kappen Feb. 9, 1954 2,721,756 Markussen Oct. 25, 1955 

